If you've been neglecting Guild Wars 2 as I regrettably have, the latest content update should offer plenty of incentive for you to clear some time for ArenaNet's Halloween festivities. Shadow of the Mad Kingbegins today with the first in a four-act story arc.

They're appropriately setting the mood with tales of a king who went, well, mad and was chopped up into pieces by his people hundreds of years ago. Has he returned, as the dead so often do in videogames? This new story will be an ongoing event that carries through to October 31.

Additionally, Halloween-themed crafting recipes, new items from the Black Lion Trading Company, fresh events, mini-dungeons, and more are being added. ArenaNet is intentionally withholding the specifics, but there's said to be approximately 80 pieces of content all told.

timeline following:⇓ Guild Wars 2

Guild Wars 2 is one of the most accessible MMOs ever made. Eschewing the Holy Trinity of class builds, you can basically pick any character you want and still fulfill a role in any group. Everyone can heal, and everyone ...more

Guild Wars 2 is an ambitious project. While ArenaNet's initial offering of Guild Wars was more of a social dungeon crawler than an MMO (the company called it a CORPG, or competitive online role-playing game), the se...more

Typically, MMOs are third-person affairs and for good reason. Whenever you find yourself in any dangerous persistent world, you want a good idea of what's around you to have the best possible view of the battlefield.
Well, so...more

I've said it many times before, but one of the best things about Guild Wars 2 is the fact that you can jump back in anytime without needing to subscribe or feel like you missed anything. Monthly fees definitely still wo...more

Guild Wars 2 is a pretty great MMO. It's buy-to-play, which means you have to purchase the initial package first, then there's no subscription fees or nasty progression-hindering microtransactions. You buy the game, and...more

As a casual MMO player, I've always liked the Guild Wars series -- no monthly subscription fits my lifestyle, you know? I don't have to feel guilty about wasting money by not playing "enough," whatever that is. If you're of a...more

On Thursday, ArenaNet will kick off a week-long trial for Guild Wars 2. You'll be able to play the MMORPG for free from 12:00am Pacific on September 25 until 11:59pm Pacific on October 1.
Trial accounts can be opened ahead of...more

Guild Wars 2's Chinese publisher had the MMO at 760,000 players on launch day. Two months later, it's reporting 3.8 million Chinese players. Guild Wars 2's first year sales, before the Chinese launch, were at 3.5 million, so total sales are at least over 7 million.
Not bad, not bad.
[Via NeoGAF]more

ArenaNet is paving the way for the end of the current main storyline. Origins of Madness is the first big event of the year for Guild Wars 2. It's coming out on January 21 and this will see players fighting against Scarlet Br...more

In one of the more spirited giveaways I've seen in recent years, NCSoft and ArenaNet are giving away 5,000 copies of Guild Wars 2 to folks willing to pledge their undying loyalty to the game on camera.
For a chance to ...more

In an upcoming World of Warcraft patch, Blizzard will introduce the WoW Token, an in-game item purchasable with real money that facilitates the exchange of gold for 30 days of game time.
"The WoW Token was created to give pla...more

The Gold Saucer is finally a part of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, and it's glorious. That classic music returns, as do the iconic Triple Triad and Chocobo Racing activities. It's amazing how much content Square Enix has...more

Typically, MMOs are third-person affairs and for good reason. Whenever you find yourself in any dangerous persistent world, you want a good idea of what's around you to have the best possible view of the battlefield.
Well, so...more